Wed 23.2.

This single family home in Tokyo was realised by the Japanese practice yHa architects. Due to the north/west orientation of the house it was a major challenge to capture the daily sunlight. With a smart floor plan and additional skylights the architects created a light and – in spite of the small size of the site – broad inside.

'YNH' by yHa architects, photo by Takeshi Yamagishi

“I designed 3-floor void as “light-tube” by analogy of “fort” like Scotish Tower-House. The room on each floor are arranged around “light-tube” like a square in the house and the inner-opening facing the void make a role as linking by one’s eyes between the room”, the architect explains.

'YNH' by yHa architects, photo by Takeshi Yamagishi

“The facade has “autonomously” opening system grid-like continuous pattern and its size are “heteronomously” translated in relation to views or surrounding environment or interior function.
By putting opening continuously in a height of eye-level and designing the details of opening frame close to frame-less, our eyes go through inside and outside although narrow space so we don’t feel the oppression. The room has same specifications that is exchangeable for other functions. I proposed the “prototype” architecture by grasping the delicate differences of surrounding environment.”

'YNH' by yHa architects, photo by Takeshi Yamagishi

“In considering the context with the surrounding environment, in Japan I think the ground is texture or color of the structures for public use (e.g. road) these are remaining almost same in the future more than the form or place of opening of surrounding architecture. I designed this architecture like “fort” in the city continuously from the texture or color of road in front of this site.”